Automobile.



No. 761,295l` BATENTED MAY 31,- .1904. RE. GROUT.

AUTOMOBILE. APPLIOATI'ON FILEDl nnp.15,'1aoa.

2 SHEETS-.SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

uma., wAsmNnToN. n. c.

No. 761,295..I

PATENTED MAYfBl, 1904.

E. E. GRoUT. AUTOMOBILE.' APPLIoATIoy FILED 131:0.'15. 100 2. l

a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

@vih/memes v lbeen found desirableto locate the boiler andl Patented May31, 1904.

y PATENT *@EricE.- l

EaEDERIcK E. GROUT, oE ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUToMoBlLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.`761,295, dated May 31,1904.

i Application led Deceinherl, 1902. Serial No. 185,195. (No model.) i

To L7/Z whom t may concern.: n

"Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. GROUT, av

citizen o f the United States, and a resident of Orange, in the countyofFranklin and State automobiles, and particularly to automobiles whichderive their motive power from a steamengine supplied with steam by aboiler located at the forward end of the vehicle and having Aafuel-burning heater for generatingstearn in' .the boiler.

My present improvements are especially designed for use 1n connectionywith a steam- .boiler and heater used on the well-known Tonneau type ofautomobile, although, of course, -its application is not limited to thisparticular type of vehicle. Y In automobiles of the Tonneau type it hasheater at the extreme forward end of the vehicle and cover the. samebythe usual casing `or bonnet located at such point, 'whiehl serves toconiine the smoke, gases, and vapor rising .from the boilerand heaterand to prevent ythese vapors and gases from blowing directly .into thefaces ofthe occupants of the vehicle.

It has been foundin practice, however, that such a bonnet, while usefuland'while preventing the direct rise andblowing of these gases' andvapors from the topof the boiler into the faces of the persons seated intherear ofthe vehicle, doesnot prevent the risingof these vapors'andgases from thebottom of the boiler and heater at a point immediatelybehind the same, and the result is that in the ordinary Atype of Tonneauautomobilefaf considerablev portion of lthis smoke, vapor, and gas risesimmediately behind' the boiler and blows in Athe faces of the personsseated there, causing them considerable discomfort. A

The main object of my present improvements is to provide means forconfining all of the escaping steam-vapor ariel` the products ofcombustion ofthe heater and leading them to the extremerear end of thevehicle, where they will be discharged into the openair at a pointbehind all of the occupants of the vehicle, atv

which point they cannot be blown into the faces of persons seated nearthe rear end of the automobile. y

In carrying my invention into effect I make -use of a draft or suctionapparatusl having one or more inlets near -the eXtreme forward end ofthe vehicle, the suction apparatus beingso organized and itsinlets soplaced that as the vehicle moves forward the natural air-currents willtravel through the passages of the apparatus and blow with them allsmoke, vapors, and gases and carry the same through the apparatus anddischarge these vapors and products of combustion at the rear end of thevehicle, ypreferably at a point below thefloor of the automobile. y y pAn important feature of my improved draft apparatus is its employmentnot only for the purpose of drawing the steam-vapor and products ofVcombustion away from the forward supplying to the heater a forceddraft, which .will force the gases and products of combustio'n throughthe openings of the tubular boiler ordinarily employed on automobiles,while at the same time a suction-inlet adjacent to the *top of theboilerwill draw the vapors and gases away yfrom the top of the boilerand carrythem through the draft-tube to the rear end of the vehicle.Thusit will beseen the air-currents set in motionby the forward movementof the vehicle` are utilized to force .thevdraft under the heater, andhence to 'force thec productsof kcombustion and heated gases through theboiler,`while the suction-inlet above the boiler coperatesto draw suchgases and` products of combustion away as fast s they are developed bythe heating device. Other features ,of my invention not hereinbeforereferred to will b'ehereinafter d'escribed, andare shown intheaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation -of anautomobile of the Tonneaux type, broken away and i in lsection toillustratethe construction of v.the .d r`aft apparatus. i 2 is avertical sec- Y tion of the same, the section being taken in line-2 2,Fig.'l, looking in the direction of :the arrow. Fig. 3 is a plan of theforward VYendof the vehicle` with the bonnet removed.

` and other products of combustion.

The automobile shown in thedrawings is of the usual Tonneau type, havinga long body the floor of which is designated by 2, this body portionbeing supported, as usual, on springs 8 and 4, secured to the forwardand rear axles 5 and 6 of the vehicle, on which axles the wheels 7 and 8are journaled. At

-the extreme forward end of the vehicle the heating apparatus, includingthe boiler, is located and is supported in the ordinary manner andcovered by the usual bonnet 10, which serves to give the forward end ofthe automobile a finishedvappearance and confines the steam and smokeand gases which escape or vare permitted to escape from the boiler andheater. In their general structure these parts of the automobile are ormay be substantially the same as in other automobiles of the Ton- Theengine to which steam is lsupplied by the boiler and by which thevehicle'isdriven is not shown in these drawings, as it constitutes nopart of the invention and vdoes not in any-way affect the operation ofcated in any position suitable for producing aj'current from the spacearound the heating apparatus to the draft-tube communicating with therear end of the carriage. This draftl'tube may have at the forward-endofthe carriage one or moreopenmgs communicating:

directly with the atmosphere and adapted to permit a current of air totravel therethrough and through the draft-tube as the vehicle movesforward. One or more of these openings may be located near the bottom ofthe vehicle at the forward end of the same and another near the upperforward portion of the carriage, the latter being in the constructionshown the principal air-inlet.

The particular type of draft apparatus which I prefer to employ isclearly illustrated in Fig. 1, 11 designating generally a draft-tubeextending from the upper forward end of thek carriage to the lower rearend of the same.

This draft-tube may be constructed of any suitable material and may beof any desiredV cross-section, though I prefer to make use of a tubeoblong in cross-section and of considerable cross-sectional area. In theconstruction shown this draft-tube has a horizontal portion 11 at theupper forward side of the carriage entirely inclosed by the bonnet 10,the drafttube being then bent downwardly, as at 11,immediate] y in therear of the boiler and extending through the fioor 2 of the carriage andcommunicating at its lower end with the main portion of the tube 11. Atthe point 12 a suctioninlet is formed by the forward wall or partition13 of the draft-tube, this partition lying between the rear upper sideof the boiler and the other wall of the tube, and through thesuctioninlet 12, formed by this partition, thc vapor, Smoke, and otherwaste products will pass downward, as shown by the arrows, after theyemerge from the upper ends of the tubes of the boiler 14. It will benoticed that the upper section 11 of the draft-tube is entirely inclosedby the bonnet or cover 10. In order that the bonnet may be removedreadily without necessitating the removal of the main portion of thedraft-tube, I prefer to provide a detachable tube-section 15, which maybe simply slipped into the forward end of the main portion 11 of saidtube. This detachable section 15 preferably flares somewhat in order toincrease the velocity of the air-current traveling through thedraft-tube and also gives the forward end of thecarriage a neatappearance. Similar Haring air-inlets will also preferably be cmployedat the other points at which it is desired topermit the entrance of airinto the draft-tube-kas, for example, at the point 16 below the heater,at the rear edge thereof. Another inlet, such as 17, may also be placedat the under side of the forward portion of the vehicle, preferablysomewhat in advance of the air-inlet 16. The function of this airinlet17, however, is not the same as that of the inlet 16 or 15, as insteadof connnunicati ng directly with the draft-tube 11 the inlet-tube 17communicates with the under side of the burner placed below the boiler.This burner `is designated by 18 and may be of any suitable type. In allcases, however, it should have amultiplicity of burner-openings, so asto heat all portions of the bottom of the boiler, and

-all of its burner-inlets should be in communication with the inlet-tube17 in order that a good supply of air may be mixed with the hydrocarbonvapor and in order also that a strong draft may be created in an upwarddirection through'the heater and the boiler. This upward draft not onlyserves to produce an intense heat under the boiler, but also forces thesmoke and other products of combustion through the boiler, and thusfacilitates the rapid withdrawal of these vapors and gases from thebonnet by the suction produced at the suction-inlet 12 by the current ofair passing through the draft apparatus. The direct currents of airadmitted through the inlets 15 and 16 produce a strong suction at theopening 12, and this suction being aided by the force exerted by theair-blast entering the inlet'17 causes all vapors and gases to bcrapidly forced through the boiler and then drawn into the inlet 12 andthrough the draft-tubes 11" and- 11 to the rear end of the carriage,where they are discharged at a point where they will not blow in thefaces of the occupants of the IOO IIO

'761,295 .Y l Y -3 vehicle and cause them discomfort. This draftapparatus therefore serves a double purpose, as it performs not vonlythe function of carry'- ing away escaping steam and products ofcombustion, but also promotes combustion and favors the rapid'productionand maintenance of a high steam-pressure in the boiler.

ers of this type it is customary to employ a hood, such as 25, forconning the products of combustion asthey escape from the upper end ofthe boiler and for protecting adjacent parts of the carriage from theheat of these exhaust-gases, &c. In the present construcv tion the upperportion 11 of the draft-tube is within this hood, but is somewhatnarrower than the hood, and openings are left at 26 at opposite sides ofthis section of the draft-tube,

through whichaportion of the escaping products of combustion may flow,as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2. At the upper end of the casing 25the casing is contracted,` as shown at' 27, to lforma short stack, whichpasses througha corresponding opening in the i topl of the bonnet 25 andis closed by a cap or cover 28 when 'the vehicle is running. When thecarriage is brought toa stop, however, as there is no draft orbut littledraft through the tubes heretofore described, it is desirable to providean outletfor the smoke, escaping steam, and burned gases, and at suchtimes lthe cap 28 is raised. as shown in Fig. 2, to

' toward the rear end thereof and having a suction-inlet communicatingwith said boilerhood. l. p

2. `In an automobile, the combination with the body of the vehicle, ofa-steam-boiler and a heater located at the forward end of said body, anda draft-tu be extending fromthe for-- ward end of said ybody toward therear end thereof'and havinga plurality of inlets adjacent respectivelyto the top and the bottom of the boiler. i Y

3. In anautomobile, the combination with the body o`f the vehicle, of asteam-boiler and a heater at the forward end of said body, a

:bonnet covering said boiler, and a draft-tube extending from theforward end of said body toward the rear end thereof and projecting atits for-ward end through ysaid bonnetr'and also having a suction-inletadjacent to the boiler.

4. In an automobile, the combination with the body of the vehicle, of asteam-boiler and a heater located at the forward end of said body, abonnet covering said boiler, and a draft-tube extending from the forwardend of said body toward' the rear end thereof and having at its'forwardend a detachable section projecting throughv said bonnet, saiddraft-tube also having a suction-inlet adja-v cent to the boiler.

5. In an'automobile, the combination with the body of thevehicle, of asteam-boiler and a heater at the forward end of said body, a

'bonnet covering said boiler,a draft-tube extending from the forward endof said body toward the rear end thereof and projecting at its forwardend through said bonnet and also having a suction-inlet adjacent to theboiler, a damper in said draft-tube, and a damperoperating: -deviceextending through said draft-tube and bonnet.

6. In an automobile, the combination with the body=of the vehicle, ofasteam-boiler and a heater located at the forward end of said body, and adraft-tube extending from the forward end of said body toward the rearend thereof and having at its forward end a pair of air-inlets" one ofwhich communicates directly with the interior of said. tube and theother of which communicates through the boiler with the interior of thedraft-tube, said draft-tube also having a suction-inlet adjacent to theboiler. o

7. In an automobile, the combination. with the body of the vehicle, of asteam-boiler and a heater located at the forward end of saidV saidboiler and having at its upper end an outlet, a cover for-said outlet,and a draft-- tube extending from the forwardend of said body toward therear end thereof and having a suction-inlet adjacent to the boiler andpassing through and of less width than said hood.

8. In an automobile, the combination with the body of the vehicle, of asteam-boiler and a heater located at the forward end of said body, abonnet coveringsaid boiler, a hood fonsaid boiler, and a draft-tubeextending from the forward end iof said body toward the rear end thereofand through both the said bonnet and the said hood and having asuction-inletcommunicating with the hood.

9. In an automobile, the combination with the body of the vehicle, of asteam-boiler and a heater located at theforward end of saidl IOO IIO

body, a hood for said boiler, and a draft-tube Signed at Orange, in thecounty of Frankextending from the forward end of said body lin and Stateof Massachusetts, this 9th day toward the rear end thereof and having apluof December, A. D. 1902.

rality of inlets adjacent respectively to the top FREDERICK E. GROUT.and the bottom of the boiler and also having Witnesses:

a suction-inlet communicating with the boiler- H. THOS. OLIVER, hood. W.S. DAVIS.

